Muskogee Man Charged With Kidnapping Wife Resigns From Police Force

Muskogee Police say a veteran police officer who is facing criminal charges has resigned. The resignation was effective February 21.

"Mark Ridley is no longer employed by our agency," Corporal Michael Mahan said in a news release.

Ridley was arrested January 30, 2014, for kidnapping, forcible sodomy, assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

He allegedly rammed his estranged wife's car with his pickup, running her off the road. He then reportedly forced her at gunpoint to get in his truck and go to his residence in Oktaha.

2/1/2014 Related Story: Jailed Muskogee Police Officer Attempts Suicide, Sheriff Says

Court records show Ridley's wife filed for divorce on December 31, 2013. She filed for a protective order against her husband on December 18 which was dismissed almost a month later.

She again filed for a protective order on the day before the alleged kidnapping occured. It is still in force, court documents show.

The 39-year-old Ridley was a 17-year veteran of the MPD. He was found February 1 after trying to hang himself in his cell using the elastic strap from a shoulder brace. He was not injured.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled in Muskogee County Court for May 16, 2014.

Full statement from Muskogee Police:

The Muskogee Police Department would like to announce that Mark Ridley is no longer employed by our agency. Ridley, who is currently facing criminal charges in Muskogee County District Court, resigned as a police officer effective 2-21-14.